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Hello and thanks for visiting my blog. I have been knitting on and off for 50 years and I recently learned to crochet. I love looking for wool bargains and making them into something useful. I mainly knit for charity. I occasionally knit for myself and family members if I find a really good pattern or if they ask nicely!!

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Sunday, 10 August 2014

The Joanne Gift Bag...

I recently needed something to add that special touch to a gift. So I made its own bespoke gift bag. Here is the pattern which I am giving away to knitters all over the world......

The Joanne Gift Bag

This
is a quick and easy knitting pattern. It
makes a gift bag measuring approximately 6” wide in 8 ply or DK yarn and 4” wide
in 4 ply yarn. This photo shows my
finished bags. I am an average gauge
knitter. The DK yarn bag measures 6” x
8”. The 4 ply bag measures 4” x 5”. I used approximately 30g of DK yarn and less
of 4 ply yarn. I include easy
instructions for making the bag wider, narrower, longer or shorter.

Skills
needed:

The
only skills you will need are:

Cast on

Cast off

Knit stitch

Purl stitch

Knit 2 together

Yarn forward

Sewing side seams

Supplies
needed:

The
supplies you will need are:

DK yarn

size 4mm knitting needles

1 metre of 9mm ribbon. You could use less ribbon if you want a
smaller bow.

OR

4 ply yarn

size 3.25mm knitting
needles

0.75 metre of 7mm ribbon. You could use less ribbon if you want a
smaller bow.

This pattern
is a blank canvas. You can jazz up the
bag by using sparkly yarn or by adding decorations such as beads, applique,
embroidery etc.

Pattern

You
are going to knit one piece, fold it in half and sew the side seams.

Cast
on 29 stitches. Increase
or decrease the number in multiples of 8 stitches to make the bag wider or
narrower. (Every 4 stitches makes 1 eyelet.
You need an even number of eyelets on both sides of the bag for the
ribbon to thread evenly. That is why you
increase or decrease by 8 stitches.)

Rows
1-4: [K1, P1] repeat to last stitch. K1.

Row
5: Knit all stitches.

Row
6: K1, purl to last stitch, K1.

Rows
7-10: Repeat rows 5 and 6.

Row
11 eyelets: K1, [K2, K2tog, yarn forward] repeat to last 4 stitches, K4. You should have 6
eyelets. If you have fewer, make sure
you haven’t omitted a yarn forward.
Remember, there is a yarn forward before the last K4.

Row
12: K1, purl to last stitch, K1.

Row
13: Knit all stitches.

Repeat
rows 12 and 13. This
where you adjust the depth of your bag.
For my double knit bag I repeated these rows until it measured 14” from
the cast on edge. For my 4 ply bag I
repeated these rows until it measured 9” from the cast on edge.

Next
row: K1, purl to last stitch, K1.

Next
row eyelets: K1, [K2, K2tog, yarn forward] repeat to last 4 stitches, K4. You should have 6
eyelets. If
you have fewer, make sure you haven’t omitted a yarn forward. Remember, there is a yarn forward before the
last K4.

Next
6 rows: repeat rows 12 and 13.

Last
4 rows: [K1, P1] repeat to last stitch. K1.

Cast
off.

Fold
in half, right sides together. Sew seams,
being careful to match up the eyelets rows..

Decorate
as desired. Thread ribbon through the
eyelets and tie in a bow.

I
look forward to seeing photos of your finished gift bags. If you have any queries, please contact me
either on Ravelry by sending me a message or leaving a comment on my pattern
page. Otherwise you can contact me
through my blog . http://bagsofwool.blogspot.co.uk/

….and finally.
Why is this pattern called The Joanne Gift Bag? I named my pattern after a lady who was very
generous to me. I pondered over how to
show my appreciation and decided that naming a pattern after her and giving it
away free would be a lovely gesture.